Knife.



G. A. BAUER.

KNIFE.

APPUCATION FILED FEB. 15. 1911.

Patented May 1 1918.

KNIFE.

Application filed February 15, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV A. BADER, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Knife, fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to knives and more particularly to the type in which a hinged or folding blade is employed, an object of this invention being to provide a construction in which a simple and inexpensive means is employed for relieving the tension of the blade spring on the blade, in order that the latter may be swung readily from closed to open position or vice versa. Another object of the invention is to provide interlocking connections between the blade and the blade spring to positively hold the blade in closed or in open positions. Still another object of the invention is to provide a construction. in which the movement of the pivotal axis of the blade effects the locking of the blade in one or more positions. A further object of the invention is to provide means for partially opening the knife blade upon a relative movement between the latter and its spring. A still further object is to provide a hilt carried by the blade and so mounted that a firm support for the hilt is obtained.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain parts and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

' In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of the invention, one-half of the handle being removed to show the blade spring with the blade locked in open position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, the in terlocking connection between the blade and the spring being broken or destroyed in order that the blade may swing to closed po sition;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the blade closed but not locked in this position;

Fig. 4c is a fragmentary view showing the blade locked in closed position;

Fig. 5 is a partial exterior elevation showing the locking lever; and

Fig. 6 is a central vertical section through the parts shown in Fig. 5.

According to this invention, a handle 1 is employed comprising preferably side Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1918.

Serial No. 148,814.

plates 5 spaced apart by the blade spring 3 and held to the latter by pins or rivets l, the side platesbeing covered by panels 7 and escutcheons 6 at one end. A blade 2 is pivotallv mounted between the side plates preferably upon a pin 8, which serves as a pivot for the blade and is preferably movahly mounted being, in this instance, rotatable in the side plates and the escutcheons 6. The ends of this pin are reduced at 9 and one of the reduced portions is surrounded by a washer 10, while the other reduced portion, which is noncircular, is surrounded by a lever 12 formed with a finger piece 13. Screws 11 hold the washer 10 and the lever 12 to the pivot. A stop 14 on one of the escutcheon plates 6 is adapted to cooperate with stops l5 and 16 on the lever 12 to limit the movement of the latter and the pivot pin 8 in two directions. The pivot pin 8 has an eccentrically arranged central portion on which the blade 2 turns, this eccentric portion being preferably in the form of an ellipse, the greatest diameter of which is slightly less than the diameter of the circular opening 18 in the blade. The purpose of forming the pivot of the blade in the manner set forth is to permit a relative movement between the blade and the blade spring, so that the tension of the spring on the blade may be relieved to permit the free turning of the blade. that the opposite ends of the eccentric portion pass beyond that diameter of the opening 18 which is perpendicular to the axis of the knife, the blade is locked in its eX- treme positions by the action of the spring.

To the end of locking the blade in closed position, the blade has a recess forming .a shoulder or abutment 20, this shoulder being preferably situated adjacent to the pivot of the blade and on one side thereof, and being adapted to interlock with a shoulder or abutment 19 when the blade is shifted by means of the eccentric portion 17. Preferably the hook or shoulder 19 is mounted upon the spring 8 in spaced relation to the end of the latter, so that an interlocking connection is provided between the blade and the blade spring for holding the blade in closed position, said interlocking connection being broken or destroyed by a relative movement between the blade and the part with which said blade interlocks,

In order to open the blade slightly upon the relative movement of the blade and the Owing to the fact i in Fig.2 to that shown in spring, the blade has a cam portion 26 which rides on a cam portion 27 on the spring when the eccentric l? is turned to relieve the blade of the pressure of the spring, while said bladeis in closedposition. The action of these cam surfaces is shown in dotted this end the blade is provided with a recess 21, forming an abutment and receiving a projection or abutment on a part to which the blade is moved outwardly by the eccentric portion 17,. In this instance, the abutment or projection 22 is mounted on the free or outer end of. the spring 3, while the recess 21 and. the abutment formed thereby are provided on the blade and adjacent to the pivot of the latter and on that side thereof opposite that. on which the abutment 20, is formed. This projection 22. on the blade spring and the recess 20 and its abutment form an interlocking connection between the blade andthe spring, which holds the blade against swinging until the relative movement between'the blade and the spring is effected by the. eccentric portion 17 to permit the blade to swing to closed position.

In connection with large knives it is desirable to provide a hilt carried by the blade, and in order that this hilt may. not interfere with the folding of the blade, it is pivotally mounted on the blade. Usually this pivot is situated in close proximity to the back of the blade in order that the hilt may cooperate with the handle. Such an arrangement, however, makes a very weak mounting for the hilt as the pivot is required to stand all the strains or blows on the hilt.

According to the present invention, the slotted hilt 23 carries apivot pin 25 which works in a slot 24 inthe blade, said slot being at, an acute angle to a transverse axis of the blade. By this arrangement the pivot shifts toa point near the back of the blade when the latter is folded, asshown in Figs.

3 ands, and also shifts to a point near the center of the blade when the blade is open, as shown in Fig. 1. The shifting of the pivot of the blade from the position shown Fig. 1 causes the hilt to be brought firmly againstthe knife handle, so that all movement of the hilt is prevented, and the strain on the pivot is taken up by the knife handle. The inclination of the slot prevents the shifting of the hilt pivot until the pivot of the blade has been shifted. a

From the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been provided a construction in which relative movement between the blade and the spring is effected by shifting the axis on which the blade turns, the purpose of this construction being to relieve the tension of the spring on the.blade, in order that the latter may be swung freely from open to closed position, or vice versa. A con struction is also provided in which the shift ing of the axis of the blade is utilized for locking the blade in closed and in open position. While in the illustrated embodiment this locking is efiected by moving the blade,

it is apparent that the invention is not, lima ited to this arrangement but comprehends also any construction 1Il,\Vl11Cl1 a relative movement between the blade and the blade spring is effected for locking the blade.

either in closed position, or open position,v q

an interlocking connection between the blade 7 and the spring for holding th blade against movement in one position, and means for moving one of the first two named parts bodily longitudinally and transversely to L break such interlocking connection and also reduce the tension of the spring on theblade in order to permit the blade to remote the other position.

2. A knife having in combination a blade.

spring, a blade cooperating with the spring, an interlocking connection between the blade and the spring for holding the blademin closed position, and means for moving one of said first two named parts bodilylongi tudinally and transversely for breaking such interlocking connection and also reduce the a tension of the spring on the blade to permit the blade to move. to open position;

3. A knife having in combination a blade spring, a blade cooperating with the spring, interlocking connection between .said blade and the spring for holding the blade in open position and means for shifting bodily longitudinally and transverselyone of said parts to reduce the tension of the spring onthe blade and to permit the blade to swing to closed position.

A knife having in combination a blade spring, a blade cooperating with the spring, interlocking connectionbetween the blade and the spring for holding the blade in closed position, interlocking connection between the blade and the spring for holding the'blade. in open: position, and means for shifting bodily longitudinally and transversely one ofthe first two named parts to reduce the tension of the spring on the bladeto permit the blade to swing from either of itsextreme positions to the other.

5. A knife having in combination a blade spring, a blade cooperating with the spring and means for shifting the pivotal axis of the blade toward and from he spring transversely of the length of the spring for decreasing the tension of the spring on the blade to permit the latter to swing more readily from open to closed position or vice versa.

6. A knife having in combination a blade spring, a blade cooperating with the spring, means for shifting the turning axis of the blade transversely and longitudinally of the length of the spring, and a device with which said blade interlocks upon the shifting of said axis when the blade is at one of its eX- treme positions.

7. A knife having in combination a blade spring, a blade cooperating with the spring, means for shifting the pivotal axis of the blade transversely and longitudinally of the length of the spring and a device with which said blade interlocks upon the shifting of said axis when the blade is closed.

8. A knife having in combination a blade spring, a blade cooperating with the spring, means for shifting the pivotal aXis of the blade transversely and longitudinally of the length of the spring and a device with which said blade interlocks upon the shifting of said axis when the blade is open.

9. A knife having in combination a blade spring, a pivoted blade cooperating with the spring, an interlocking connection between the blade and the spring, and means for shifting the turning axis of the blade transversely and longitudinally of the length of the spring to make and break said interlockm connection.

10. A knife having in combination a blade spring, a blade cooperating with the spring, an interlocking connection between the blade and the spring for holding the blade in open position and interlocking connection between the blade and the spring for holding the blade in the closed position and means for shifting the turning axis of the blade transversely and longitudinally of the length of the spring to make and break said interlocking connection.

11. A knife having in combination a blade spring, a blade for cooperation with said spring, and a rotary device having an eccentrically arranged portion on which the blade turns.

12. A knife having in combination a blade spring, a blade for cooperation with said Copies of slot, and means for this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing spring, and a rotary device having an eccentrically arranged portion on which the blade turns, the eccentric portion being elliptical in cross section and having its greatest diameter smaller than the diameter of the opening in the blade in which said portion turns.

13. A knife having in combination a blade spring, a blade cooperating with the spring, means for shifting one of said parts to take the tension of the spring off the blade, and rigid cooperating portions on the spring and the blade for effecting a partial opening movement of the blade, one of said portions being moved with the shifting part on such shifting.

let. A knife having in combination a blade spring, a blade cooperating with the spring, means for shifting the blade relatively to the spring to take t e tension of the spring off the blade, and rigid cooperating means on the blade and the spring for effecting a partial opening movement of the blade upon such shifting.

15. In a knife, a blade, mounted on the blade, and means for shifting the pivot of the blade to bring the hilt against the knife handle and to shift the latter to one limit of its movement on the blade.

16. In a knife, a blade, a hilt having a shifting fulcrum on said blade, and means for shifting the pivot of the blade to bring the hilt against the handle of the knife and to shift the latter to one limit of its movement on the blade.

17. In a knife, a blade, having a slot therein lying at an acute angle to the transverse axis of the blade, the end of the slot nearer the back of the knife being nearer the knife handle, a hilt having a pivot working in said shifting the pivot of the blade to bring the hilt against the handle of the knife, and to shift the pivot toward the end of the slot most remote from the handle.

18. In a knife, a pivoted blade provided with a straight slot which lies in an angle other than a right angle to the longitudinal axis of said blade, the end of the slot nearer the cutting edge of the blade being also nearer the free end of the blade than the other end of the slot, and hilt having a pivot operating in the slot to cause the pivot to shift automatically to the back of the blade as th latter is closed.

GUSTAV A. BADER.

Washington, D. C.

the Commissioner of Patents,

a hilt pivotally I 

